Chapter 354: Entering the Rainbow Stream


    ( The Arc Ship, Real World )


    As the arc ship silently breached the threshold of the Rainbow Stream, the change that every passenger felt inside was instantaneous and profound.


    The passengers, though unable to see the swirling currents of mana outside the ship, felt an invisible wave of energy wash over them, enveloping them with an indescribable warmth.


    It was as if the very air that they breathed had transformed and was now heavy with an energy that was both foreign and exhrating.


    *Shiver*


    A collective shiver ran through the ship which was a subtle but undeniable sign that every human on board was experiencing something extraordinary.


    Those on-board who had been standing grasped for support as a sudden wave of dizziness overcame them. For some, it felt like the ground was shifting beneath their feet while for others, a lightheadedness threatened to pull them into unconsciousness.


    Yet, beneath theyer of initial difort, there was something else—a tingling sensation that spread through everyone’s limbs, awakening parts of them that not even they themselves knew existed. It was as if their entire bodies were humming and each cell within them was vibrating with newfound life.


    The dormant mana circuits, long buried in the human genome, stirred for the first time, drawing in the ambient mana from their surroundings with a desperate hunger.


    For most passengers, their breaths became shallow and quick, while their hearts pounded loudly inside their chests, and a thin sheen of sweat appeared on their foreheads.


    It was slightly painful, however, it was a very sweet and addictive sort of pain, which was very mild and passed quickly as soon, the initial wave of sickness, of bodies rebelling against the sudden influx of energy, began to subside and was reced by a sense of euphoria.


    There was a heady rush of power, a feeling of being on the brink of something immense and unfathomable as although no-one could actually physically see mana in the air around them, they could most definitely feel it with every fiber of their being.


    *********


    ( Meanwhile Leo )


    Just like the other passengers on board the arc ship, Leo too keeled over, with sweat beads forming on his forehead as the Arc Ship crossed into the ‘Rainbow Stream’.


    The process of awakening his dormant mana-circuit was excruciatingly painful for himpared to others as his body absorbed ten times the amount of mana that a normal passenger did, greedily consuming the ambient energy in the air as if it had been starved for decades.


    As the mana surged through him, Leo felt an intense pressure build within his chest, making it difficult to breathe. His vision blurred, and ck spots danced before his eyes, threatening to pull him into unconsciousness. Each heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears, pounding like a drum, amplifying the difort.


    Yet, despite the agony, there was an undercurrent of something transformative happening within him, as soon the initial wave of pain began to subside and was reced by a warm, soothing sensation that spread through his body.


    His muscles, which had tensed up in response to the mana influx, gradually rxed as the feeling of difort gave way to one of profound rejuvenation.


    The sensation of his body integrating with mana for the first time was unlike anything he had ever experienced.


    It was as if he had undergone the most exquisite massage, with every single muscle fiber in his body feeling rxed and invigorated.


    His limbs tingled with newfound energy, and he felt a sense of strength and vitality that was entirely new to him. It was as if his body was now primed for an explosive output, ready to perform at a level that was twice his previous maximum capacity.


    Leo took a deep breath, flexing his fingers experimentally, as he felt the new power coursing through his veins.


    The initial ordeal had been intense, but the aftermath was nothing short of miraculous. His body, now in harmony with the mana-rich environment, felt like it was on the cusp of untapped potential, ready to perform feats of strength previously considered impossible by human standards.


    “Whoa… this is amazing” Leo said, as he began jumping on his toes, as his body felt nearly weightless.


    Because his body was the same weight as before, but his muscles had improved in their strength output, Leo’s brain got the impression that he was weightless as he had never felt so light on his feet ever before.


    If he jumped now, Leo was sure that he could reach the ceiling 9 feet above his head with ease and this feeling of power was unbelievable.


    “Leo…. I’m not feeling too well” Amanda said, as while Leo felt like he had recovered from the initial phase of difort, Amanda looked like she still had the beads of sweat over her forehead as she seemed in intense pain.


    “Hey it’s okay … the feeling of difort will pass soon, I promise” Leo said, as he took Amanda into his arms and began consoling her.


    “Holy shit! I feel amazing–” said Luke, as he emerged from his room while flexing his muscles, as he too seemed to have recovered from the initial wave of difort and was now feeling like he was at the strongest point in his life.


    As he nced towards Leo, the two brothers shared a knowing smile, while Amanda continued to breathe hard and clutch onto Leo’s robes.


    ‘What’s going on with her?’ Luke asked via signnguage, to which Leo blinked in response to indicate that all was fine.


    And all was indeed fine, as soon, the initial wave of difort passed for Amanda too as she too felt her strength rising like never before.


    “Ouch… ouch…. Ouch….. too hard, you’re tearing into my flesh” Leo protested, as while Amanda did not realize it, with her strength going up, her grip over Leo’s arm began hurting Leo.


    “Oh my god…. I feel amazing!” Amanda eximed as she flexed her biceps too, finally joining the ‘feel-good’ gang alongside Luke and Leo.